Concrete mixer



W. G. CRAIG. CONCRETE MIXER.

FILED JULY 9, 1919. 2 SHEET$.SHET I.

w. G. CRAIG.

CONCRETE MIXER. FILED JULY 9, me.

Feb. 20, 1923.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Patented F ebo 20, 1923.

UNITED .s'r res WALTER, G. CRAIG, OF WHITE PLAINs, NEW Yonx.

CONCRETE MIXER.

Application filed July 9,

To. all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WALTER G. CRAIG, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at White Plains, "Westchester County, and State ofNew York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Concrete Mixers, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to pavers or mixers of concrete. 1 I

The object of the invention is to provide apparatus whereby the material sup-plied t0 the mixer or paver may be expeditiously handled at a great saving of labor.

According to the present invention the hand labor is largely dispensed with, the handling of the materials to be mixed is greatly expeditechthe proportioning of the mixture is more accurately attained and there is always a supply of materials in con-; dition to be charged into the mixer so that no delays can arise from this source. This is accomplished by providing what may be termed a batch hopper wherein the materials may be placed in proper relative quantitiesto fo-rm a batch for introduction into the mixing drum and a charging hop-per adapted to deliver materials tothe batch hopper and having a capacity of at least one and preferably of two or more batches. The charging hopper is usually placed above the batch hopper so that'its contents may be gravitated into the batch hopper. This charging hopper, taking for example the case, of road building where the material is deposited in stock piles along the highway, may be kept replenished by means of a clam shell bucket or other suitable power or hoist ing device, from the stock piles. Thus by applicants invention the clam shell hoisting bucket or other suitable {hoisting means may be employed tosupply material whereby the scarce hand. labor may be dispensed with and'further the employment of this character of-hoisting and conveying means permits the charging hopper to be placed at such aheight that its contents may gravi-. tate into the bathhopper.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention- 3 Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a concrete mixer having a charging hopper partly broken away' g I Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the appare 1919. Serial no. 309,654.

tt'us of ig. 1 looking in'the direction of the arrow;

, Fig; 3is' a top plan view of the apparatus of Figs. 1 and 2; I

Fig. 4 is=a perspective view, of a fragment of the side of the batch hopper showing an adjustablemeasuring slide y and Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the apparatus of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus comprises a frame 1 suitably supported on wheels12 uponwhi'ch the apparatus may be moved along a roadway. Mountedin" the frame is'a mixing drum 3, for mixing the concrete, whichyis rotatably supported upon rollers 4 which in turn are rotatab'ly mount ed upon the frame. The interior construction of devices of this character is well understood and need not be further referred to herein. The drum is rotated by means of a sprocket chain 5 passing over idlers 6 and 7 and driven by the sprocket wheel 8 secured to a suitablepower device such as an engine or motor within the housing 91' The sprocket chain passes about the circumference of the druma nd engages with the sprocket teeth 10 tate through the chute- 14L into the mixing drum when the gate 15 isopened. U on a wall as 16' of the batch hop-per, are fixed two angle irons l7 and 18 under'thenedgesof which nro jectthefends of ai'bar 18 In It has an inclined botscrew threaded engagementwith the bar-is a screw 19 having at itsou-te-r' end wings i 20, whereby thescrewcan be turned by the fingers so as to advance it through the bar. 18fa-nd abut against the hopper wall- 16 to secure the harm position, or may be turned in'the opposite direction to relieve the pressure of the screw on the wall and se permit the bar to be adjusted vertically to vary the'points'to which materialisto be filled intothe, hopper and so vary the'proportion' I ing of the batches.

'- Fixed to the frame 1 and -'mounted above the batch hopper so that its contents may gravitate terial of one compartment be served.

into the batch hopper, is a chargmg hopper 2-1 which is divided into two cinnpartments a vertical partition 22. This adapts the; hopper for receiving broken stone in onecompart-n'ient and sand in the other compartment but the compartments may be of any number and of any relative sizes according to the purposes desired to The material is filled into the from the upper open end of capacity of the charg- ,The macompartments the hopper and the ing hopper is at least two batches.

of the hopper by means of a 23, and from flowing out of the of a sliding flowing out sliding gate other compartment by means gate" 2-3;. Upon opening either of the gates the, contents of its respective compartment will gravitate into the batchhopper.

To trace the operation of the apparatus in one of its main functions, namely, the production of concrete for use in hlghway building, the sand and broken stone is piled in stock piles along the roadway. The apinto the other compartment.

pied by the bar,

, ment of the charging, hopper containing broken stone is opened and thestone allowed to run into the batch hopper until it reaches the level of the bar, the gate of the broken stone compartment is then closed to shut off the supply of broken stone to the batch hopper. The bar may then be adjusted toahigher level such that when the sand has reached it, the right quantity of and for a batch will be in the batch hopper. The

measuring bar having-been so adJusted, the gate for the sand compartment ofthe charging hopper -may be opened and the sand allowed; to run mto'the batch hopper until it reaches the level of the marking bar when it is shut off. While' in the illustration ust for the stone sand level, and fixed in position so long as given it has been assumed thatbut one marking-bar will be used and that-this will be adjustedfor. the stone and sand as de-- scribed,. two bars might be employed, one

level and theother for the it was not desired to change the proportions of the batches.

The cement 1S always delivered inbags oontainingan accurate amountfof cement so that the cement desired for the batch hopper may be emptied by hand directly from is restrained from the bags into the batch hopperand the quantity supplied is accurately determined by counting the number of bags.

W hen the right amountiof material for a batchh as thus been'added to the batch hopper, the gate 15 may. be opened when the .whole will ra' itate into the mixin drum to which water may be supplied in. the usual way.

y proportions in relation to the batch hopper has been described, there is always an adequate supply of material on hand for introduction to the batch hopper and also thereis always a place for the clam shell bucket to deposit its loadzwithout interfering with the accurate proportion'ing of the batch regardless of the. amount of material carried by the clam shell."

While the invention has been illustrated in what is considered its'best application, it may parting from its spirit limited to the structure shown in the draw ings.

W'Vhat I claim is v 1. In a mixing apparatus, a'suitable supporting frame, a charging hopper adapted to initially receive material to be introduced into the apparatus from ashovel orjthe like inthe upper part ofthe frame, said hopper having a pluralityof, compartments and a gate in the bottoin of each compartment, a batchhopper fixed to said frame beneath said charginghopper in position to receive ;material directly from each of said compartments, said batch hopper having agate at 1ts lower end, measuring means associated with said hopper, and arotatable mixing drum having a horlzontalaxis arranged to receive the materials from the-batch hopper and rotatably mounted on said frame.

2. In a portable mixing apparatus, a suit able wheeled supporting frame, a charging hopper adapted to initially receive material to be introduced into the apparatus from a shovel or the like in the upper'part of the frame, said, hopper having apifurality. of compartments and a gate in the bottom of each compartment,a batch hopper secured to said frame beneath said'charging hopper in position toreceive material directly from eachof 'said'compartments, said batch h0pper having a gate at its lower end, a device vertically adjustable on the batchhopper for H indicating the height of. the'materi als there on, and a rotatable mixing drumhaving a horizontal axis arranged to receive the materials from: the batch hopper and rotatably mounted on said frame. I p

3. In a mixing apparatus, a suitable supporting frame, a charging hopper, adapted to receive material to be int-roducedinto the apparatus from a shovel or. the like, in the upper part of the frame, said hopper havmakingc'the charging hopper of large have other embodiments.without de-, o

and 1S nottherefore 1,445,999 i V a 3' ing a plurality of compartments and a gate having a horizontal axis arranged to receive 1 in the bottom of each compartment, a batch the materials from the batch hopper and hopper fixed to said frame beneath said rotatably mounted on said frame; 10 charging hopper in position to receive ma- In testimony whereof I have signed this terial directly from each of said compartspecification this 7th day of J My, 1919.

ments, said batch hopperhaving a gate at v i its lower end, and a rotatable mixing drum i I WALTER G. CRAIG. 

